WJU to host science expo

Students will showcase their science skills during the first annual Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Exposition.
William Jessup University’s Teacher Education Department in partnership with members of the Roseville Chamber of Commerce’s BECOME Committee, will host the exposition from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 2 at WJU’s Rocklin campus.
The free event is open to the public and showcases local student-generated work from grades 4-12 to connect students, educators and the surrounding community. STEM Expo allows students to explore how these subjects can be challenging, interesting and fun, while connecting their interest with local businesses and industries who can partner with them in education and career preparation.
“Placer County has never had a science fair of this nature,” said Dr. Eric Bull, Jessup’s Teacher Education faculty member and event organizer. “We are pleased to host the event and give our participants a venue in which to explore these key subjects and career opportunities.”
The event will bring nearly 250 student participants from local schools including Twelve Bridges Elementary in Lincoln, Rocklin Academy and Western Sierra Collegiate Academy in Rocklin, as well as Rocklin, Whitney and Jesuit high schools. WJU students will also participate.
Members from the Roseville Utility Exploration Center, PASCO Scientific and an assortment of retired scientists will serve as judges who will view approximately 125 exhibits during the competition. Demonstrations and workshops featured during the exposition include and are not limited to Techno Guards robotics, teaching programming using Lego Mindstorms, Mad Science, a documentary film, and SMUD’s solar schoolhouse.
Keynote speaker for the event is Dr. Graham Kent, Director of the Nevada Seismological Laboratory and Professor in the Department of Geological Sciences and Engineering at the University of Nevada.
For more information, go to www.stemexpo.org.
~Staff report